Favorite Female Leads

I love this entire group of girls, but Eun Jae and Ji Won are my favs. Eun Jae is such a relatable character, uncertain and inexperienced and earnest. And Ji Won is on my 'I want to be her when I grow up' list.

This season's Yoo Eun Jae actress does an admirable performance, but she just isn't the same. Song Ji Won is as wonderful as ever though, and I still want to be her when I grow up.

I rebuke in the name of Jesus Ji Won's urn inscription though.

I am probably the only person on the planet who likes Jung Soo Young, but her awkwardness, mousyness, inexperience, and terrible fashion sense warm my heart. (I sort fear/assume that this is how I look to the people around me, so it was comforting to see such a character portrayed on screen in such a kind light.)

You can't help but love the irrepressible Kim Bok Joo. This is also one of the sweetest romances in dramaland.

A cop who wears alternative Japanese fashion and has a dog's sense of smell is a strange combination, and I live for it. (I also wear the alternative fashion she wears in the drama, so that makes me happy.)

Kim Seul Gi (Shin Sun Ae) really outshines Park Bo Young (Na Bong Sun) in this drama. Shin Sun Ae is just such a fun character, another one of those irrepressible female leads I love so much, and she's pretty high up on my 'I want to be her when I grow up' list.

I was very emotionally invested in Mi Rae's story, and the overall message of this drama is something I really appreciate. Beauty is subjective, and it's objectively in all of us.

Kono Etsuko might be at the top of my 'I want to be her when I grow up' list. She's whip-smart, passionate, determined, up-beat, hard-working, and delightfully fashionable. She's all of the things I've always wanted to be.

I don't know that I relate to her, but I definitely admire Kahoko's tenacity. A lot of people would find her character annoying, but I think she's pretty strong. She isn't commanding attention in a boardroom, but she's taking charge of her own life, and I honestly think that's more impressive.

I may be blaspheming another female lead, but I genuinely think this may be the closest I have ever come to relating to one in every single way. Dong Baek's particular life circumstances don't speak to my life, but the way she expresses herself, the way she sees herself, the internal sadness and disappointment and bitterness she feels over her life, that is spot on. She is definitely a kindred spirit.

Mikuri is another female lead kindred spirit. Her desire for love and connection really hit home for me. Not to mention, she has a very fun and active imagination, lol.

I definitely did Gae In dirty the first time I watched this drama, and I now offer up my penance for my uncharitable opinions. She's a girl with a lot of trauma and disappointment, and I really understand her now.

A lot of people don't like makeovers in dramas anymore, but I'm not one of those people. And I think the 'makeover' the female lead goes through here is a really beautiful one, because the focus really isn't on her appearance, but on her slowly developing confidence, that yes, was sometimes aided by changes in her appearance, but was mostly through her growing as a person. Her transformation is also so gradual and realistic, just the consequence (for lack of a better word) of real life happening. I appreciated that.

Shizuka is another female lead whose struggles really parallel some of my own. People misunderstand her intentions and always think badly of her despite her best efforts to relate to others in the 'right way.' But she who she is, and she can't change that. It's a helpful reminder. Change what you can and should, but don't spend your time trying to fix something that isn't actually a problem.

Go Dok Mi would probably be considered a passe character trope today, but I love her and deeply sympathize with her. She's definitely one of those 'hits a little too close to home' sort of characters for me.